Table of Contents
Ezekiel 35
Ezekiel 35
1 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
3 And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.
4 I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.
5 Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end:
6 Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.
7 Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth.
8 And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword.
9 I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
10 Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the Lord was there:
11 Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee.
12 And thou shalt know that I am the Lord, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume.
13 Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them.
14 Thus saith the Lord God; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate.
15 As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the Lord.
Notes
Cross Reference
Commentary
Rashi
Verse 5
<html><b>and you hurled</b> [Heb. וַתַּגֵר,] you cast down, as (Micah 1:6): “and I will cast (וְהִגַרְתִּי) its stones down into the valley,” for they would deliver them to their enemies as they fled through their land, and this is what Obadiah (1:14) says: “And you should not have stood by the gap [to cut off their fugitives, nor should you have delivered their survivors on the day of distress].” <b>on the day of their misfortune</b> when I delivered them into the hands of the enemy. <b>at the time of the end of their iniquity</b> when the end of their iniquity culminated, and their measure was full.</html>
Verse 6
<html><b>I shall make you into blood</b> falling by the sword. <b>you hated blood</b> You despised the birthright, for its sacrificial service was handed over to them (sic), but “you hated” to filthy yourself with the blood of sacrificial offerings in worship of Me. And the filth of the blood of the slain will pursue you. Others say: You hated the blood of circumcision (Gen. Rabbah 63:13). Others say: You fear murderers just as anyone else, and murderers will pursue you. Others say: “You hated blood,” [meaning that you hated] your brother, who is your flesh and blood.</html>
Verse 9
<html><b>and your cities will not return</b> [Heb. תָשֹּׁבְנָה,] not as I said about Egypt (above 29:14): “And I will return the captives of Egypt”; (Jer. 49:6): “And afterward, I will return the captivity of the children of Ammon.” And this is what Malachi (1:3) said, “And I hated Esau, and I made his mountains desolate,” for I made them destined for everlasting desolations.</html>
Verse 10
<html><b>The two nations</b> Israel and Judah. The Midrash Aggadah of Rabbi Tanchuma (source unknown) explains it regarding [the incident in] which Esau went to Ishmael to become his son in law in order to persuade him to contest Isaac concerning the inheritance of Abraham, and [in order that] Ishmael would kill Isaac, and [he thought] “I will be the avenger of blood and kill Ishmael.” This is the meaning of (Gen. 27:41): “Let the days of mourning for my father draw near.” And I will inherit both Isaac and Ishmael. <b>and the Lord was there</b> He knows your thoughts.</html>
Verse 11
<html><b>I shall commit [acts] like your [acts of] wrath</b> like the [acts of] wrath that you exerted against Israel, I will exert against you. <b>and I shall be known among them when I judge you</b> Then they will recognize My might.</html>
Verse 13
<html><b>and you have multiplied your words</b> [Heb. וְהַעְתַּרְתֶּם,] you have increased. Similarly (above 8: 11): “and a thick (וַעֲתַר) cloud of incense,” an expression of increase.</html>
Verse 14
<html><b>When the whole earth rejoices</b> when I claim My kingdom, for then the whole earth will rejoice, as the idea is stated (Ps. 97:1): “The Lord has reigned; the earth will exult.” Then I will make you a desolation.</html>